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12.1.11

Ok, can I rant for a minute? I'm not sure how long this has been going on, but Urban Outfitters is now selling vintage on their site. It's not surprising, given the success of indie sites like ModCloth that sell both new and vintage clothing. Also, I assume U.O. has had success with their "Urban Renewal" clothing line, which involves designers "re-inventing" vintage/second-hand pieces. I usually like their Urban Renewal items-- I certainly am inspired by some of the designs I see-- however I personally never buy these pieces because I think they're a tad overpriced, and I know I can make them myself. Well, the straight-up vintage items they are selling now are beyond overpriced. Take this wool dress from Pendleton. Sure, it's cute. . .but $238 cute?! Pendleton is a brand that I come across all the time. It's not designer.

Now, why would anyone pay so much for this dress when they can go to any number of sites, like Etsy, and find a very similar dress at a fraction of the price? I did a quick browse on Etsy for Pendleton wool dresses, and I came across all of these lovely finds (and none of them over $60!):

I know that vintage has become mainstream and hip, but I think we need to remember that part of the appeal--part of the reason I buy vintage at least-- is the affordability and the desire to promote small businesses over large corporate chains. I hope teenagers today can tell the difference.

Great post! I don't wear a lot of vintage clothing so I would have almost definitely fallen for this price (I wouldn't have bought it..but I would have assumed it was fair!) THanks for this post, I guess i'll be researching any vintage products from now on

GREAT post! And so true. Here in Oslo we have a small community of vintage sellers, but more and more we are seeing vintage or what big chains attempt to pass off as vintage cropping up. Its always expensive. Its ok if you are used to shopping for vintage and you have some common sense on the matter, but many people dont have that.